Discover Western Montana’s Beavers

The largest rodent in North America (north of Panama), the beaver is a clumsy animal on land, but when it takes to the water it propels itself with grace and speed thanks to its powerful webbed hind feet. Beavers have a large, scale-covered tail that helps them maneuver through the water. They also slap the water’s surface with their tails when sounding an alarm. A mostly nocturnal rodent, beavers build dams of sticks and mud across streams and can be found living in ponds, small lakes, streams and rivers. A strict herbivore, the beaver eats a combination of woody and herbaceous species, such as mountain alder, aspen and willows. For more, visit Montana Field Guide.

Deciding where to go while you’re here won’t be easy (it’s a pretty big place), but what you’ll quickly discover is that there’s so much Montana to see, you’ll be planning your next trip before this one is even over.

Here are some easy ways to get started. From laid-back weekend jaunts, romantic getaways and family vacations, to complete cultural experiences, there are seemingly endless options for adventure in Western Montana.

At first glance, Montana may not seem like a dining destination, but we’re happy to report it’s exactly that. With incredible fine dining restaurants, steakhouses, bakeries, bars, breweries, food trucks and cafés serving up a mix of everything—for every kind of eater—Montana is an adventure in food, too.

You don’t even need to see what’s around the next bend to be stopped in your tracks at Glacier National Park. The sheer beauty is jaw dropping from every angle. With over 1 million acres of towering, jagged peaks, cascading waterfalls, wild meadows and sparkling waters, plus wildlife watching and recreation opportunities, it is, quite simply, the vacation of a lifetime.